Kukla's Korner Hockey

Entries with the tag: chris hansen

Chris Daniels, who has reported extensively on Seattle's arena situation for Seattle's King5 TV, spoke to Sportsnet Radio 590's Bob McCown about the Arena process and the prospect of the NHL coming to Seattle and playing in the existing Key Arena. Includes a discussion about whether the NHL could come to Seattle and when any commitments would have to be made, whether the people of Seattle 'pine' for an NHL franchise, and whether the proposed Arena could be built on the back of an NHL franchise only if the NBA didn't also return to the market.

A Sacramento group opposed to a tax payer funded arena proposal - Sacramento Taxpayers Opposed to Pork, or STOP - has announced that it has acquired 18,000 Signatures paid for by Chris Hansen, the proponent of Seattle's Arena bid, and plans to use them to get a measure on the ballot to stop the arena from being built:

STOP is now in the process of verifying the validity of the 18,000 signatures. The campaign needs to collect 22,000 valid signatures from city residents by mid-December to qualify its ballot measure.

"These petitions represent the will of 18,000 people who took the time to provide their signatures and express their desire to put this tax subsidy to a vote,” Julian Camacho, president of STOP, said in a statement. “We believe it would be wrong – ethically and legally – to deny them that right.”

The NHL is apparently watching closely as Seattle's Downtown Design Review Board gets ready for tonight's public review of the design for a proposed NHL/NBA Arena spearheaded by local investor Chris Hansen.

Sources with intimate knowledge of the situation, believe the NHL is now watching the status of the project, and gauging corporate and fan interest in a potential expansion franchise. Hansen has been seeking a partner who could be a tenant in a new building. Sources say NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has been quietly pushing owners to award a franchise to Seattle, perhaps as early as next year. The NHL has denied that any talks have taken place, and sources suggest nothing has been finalized.

The NHL's Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly previously told KING5 there is not even a "handshake agreement" on a deal for a team. But he told fans in Vancouver this summer "I think Seattle would be a great market for the NHL." Ray Bartoczek and Anthony Lanza both expressed interest in buying the Phoenix Coyotes earlier this year, and relocate them to Seattle. The NHL has said repeatedly that playing in Key Arena, on a interim basis, would not be an issue.